Rooted in Heritage, Crafted with Purpose
Arawak Nation was born from a deep love of Caribbean heritage and a desire to keep indigenous Taíno art alive in a modern world. Based in Vero Beach, Florida, every piece we create is handmade, shaped, textured, and finished by hand with quality, care, and patience.
The Taíno Connection
The Taíno were the indigenous people of the Caribbean, the first to greet Christopher Columbus when he arrived in 1492. Their art, symbols, and spiritual beliefs left a lasting mark on Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, and broader Caribbean culture. The Zemis, petroglyphs, and ancestral faces you see in our jewelry are drawn directly from that tradition.
Among the most sacred Taíno symbols are the Zemis — spiritual figures representing ancestors, nature, and the forces that govern life. The three-pointed zemi, associated with agricultural fertility, and the coquí frog, a symbol of the island soul of Puerto Rico, appear throughout our pieces. Each petroglyph we recreate carries a specific meaning, worn not as decoration, but as a declaration of identity.
We believe these symbols deserve to be worn, shared, and remembered, not locked away in a museum or forgotten by history.
Handmade in Vero Beach, FL
Our studio is in Vero Beach, Florida, where each pendant is hand sculpted from lightweight polymer clay, finished with a stone like texture, and strung on a durable black cord. No two pieces are exactly alike. That is the point.
When you wear an Arawak Nation piece, you are carrying a story, one that stretches back centuries and continues today.
The Materials We Choose
Each pendant begins as raw polymer clay, chosen for its durability, lightweight feel, and ability to hold fine detail. We hand-texture every surface to achieve a natural, stone-like finish that echoes the petroglyphs carved by Taíno ancestors centuries ago. Strung on a strong black cord, each piece is built to be worn daily — a living connection to the past.
Our Promise
Every order is made with intention. We do not rush. We do not mass produce. We craft each piece the way it deserves to be crafted, slowly, carefully, and with respect for the culture it represents.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Want to learn more about the Arawak people and the heritage behind our work? Read the full history here. Ready to carry a piece of that story? Browse our Taíno jewelry collection.